Residency policy

U.S. Citizens.
The Community College of Baltimore County adheres to the following policy on residence status in compliance with the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Code of Maryland Regulations:

“A student must reside in Baltimore County to be eligible for county tuition rates or in the State of Maryland outside of Baltimore County, to be eligible for state tuition rates. A student is a Maryland or Baltimore County resident if he/she has maintained his/her domicile in Maryland or Baltimore County, respectively, for at least three months prior to the beginning of the semester. Domicile as used in this regulation is defined as a person’s permanent place of abode, where physical presence and possessions are maintained and where he/she intends to remain indefinitely. The domicile of a person who received more than one-half of his/her financial support from others in the most recently completed year is the domicile of the person contributing the greatest portion of support, without regard to whether the parties are related by blood or marriage. A student who is under 18 years of age must claim his/her residence as that of his/her parents or legal guardians.”

Proof of Residency

It is the responsibility of the student to:

• Provide all required documentation to the Records and Registration Office when providing a change of address to his or her records. An employer or post office box address cannot be used as a domicile address.
• The burden of domicile proof is on the student. A student needs to provide 2 (two) forms of documentation to substantiate his or her change of address. For example:
• A copy of a student's valid driver's license, a rental agreement, a utility bill (gas and electric or a telephone) may be used.
• Verify his or her residency and billing rate upon registration for the next semester.
• Sign a required statement verifying his or her residency claim.

Any documents presented after the last day of the third week of classes or after 20% equivalence of the semester or session has passed will be reviewed and considered only for the following term.

Permanent Residents, Refugees and Asylees.
A non-U.S. citizen who is a permanent resident, refugee and asylee must present immigration documents at the time of application to confirm residency status for tuition purposes. The same Residency Policy for U.S. citizens applies to these students.

Non-immigrants who have applied for Permanent Residency.
A student who possesses a Notice of Action statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or an Employment Authorization Document with immigrant notations may file a petition for residency reclassification for tuition purposes. Two forms of supporting documentation are required to determine whether or not the applicant has resided in-county or in-state for at least three months. If the reclassification request is submitted by the third week or 20% equivalence of the semester/session, and it is granted, any resulting favorable decision will be implemented for the current semester.

International Students with an F, M or J Visa Status.
A student studying in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa must pay out-of-state tuition because his or her permanent place of residence is outside the United States.

All other individuals, with visa classifications not mentioned above, are required to meet with staff in the International Student Services office.